religion - World Visualized

religion

Culture / 5 days ago

How many days off do you really get for Christmas?

Christmas is here, and millions of workers around the world are counting not just the days to the holiday, but the days off that come with it. In some countries, Christmas brings several days of rest. In others, it is marked with just a single public holiday, or not recognised at all. Across much of Europe, Christmas is deeply embedded in national calendars. Countries such as Germany, Sweden, and parts of Eastern Europe often observe two to three public holidays around December 25 and 26, reflecting Christian traditions and strong labour protections.

Culture / 5 days ago

From Papá Noel to Viejo Pascuero: How Latin America names Santa Claus

For centuries, Santa Claus has been central to the Christmas tradition, often invoked as a gentle moral compass to encourage good behaviour in children in the lead-up to the holiday. Yet as Christmas spread across continents, languages, and cultures, the figure of Santa Claus evolved as well. Shaped by local history and linguistic tradition, his name is pronounced and sometimes reimagined in many different ways around the world. From Papá Noel in much of South America to Viejo Pascuero in Chile and Colacho in parts of Colombia, colonial history and culture have shaped how Latin America refers to the man in red.

Culture / 1 week ago

Lebanon’s religious mosaic: Power and politics without a majority

Lebanon is one of the few countries in the Middle East without a single religious majority. Instead, power, territory, and political authority are shared among communities in a system designed to prevent domination. Lebanon is one of the few countries in the Middle East without a single religious majority. Instead, power, territory, and political authority are shared among communities in a system designed to prevent domination. Demographic estimates show that Muslims make up roughly 59% of Lebanon’s population, Christians around 34%, Druze about 5%, and Alawites approximately 1%, with small numbers belonging to other groups.

Maps / 1 week ago

Why the world is dotted with Santa Cruz, Sainte-Croix and Santa Croce

Across continents and oceans, the same place name appears again and again: Santa Cruz, Sainte-Croix, and Santa Croce. Whether in Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, Africa, or parts of Asia, these names, translated from Spanish, French, and Italian, mean the same thing: “Holy Cross.” Across continents and oceans, the same place name appears again and again: Santa Cruz, Sainte-Croix, and Santa Croce. Whether in Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, Africa, or parts of Asia, these names, translated from Spanish, French, and Italian, mean the same thing: “Holy Cross.” Their global spread is not a coincidence but the result of centuries of European exploration, colonisation, and Christian missionary activity that permanently reshaped the world’s maps.

Culture / 1 week ago

Why does Christmas Day fall on different dates across Europe?

Every December, Europe lights up with Christmas markets, church bells, and family gatherings. Yet, as the map reveals, Christmas Day is not universally celebrated on the same date across the continent. Every December, Europe lights up with Christmas markets, church bells, and family gatherings. Yet, as the map reveals, Christmas Day is not universally celebrated on the same date across the continent. While most European countries mark Christmas on December 25, several observe it on January 7, and in a few places it is not a public holiday at all. This divergence is not accidental but rooted in history, theology, and calendars that still shape modern Europe today.

World / 4 weeks ago

Inside the global footprint of 1.9 billion Muslims

The world has an estimated 1.9 billion Muslims in nearly every corner of the globe. This makes Islam the world's second-largest religion. The world has an estimated 1.9 billion Muslims in nearly every corner of the globe. This makes Islam the world's second-largest religion. Asia remains home to the vast majority, as more than 1.6 billion Muslims are in Indonesia, Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh, forming the core. Indonesia alone has over 240 million Muslims, more than any other country in the world.

Culture / 7 weeks ago

Faith and power: How religion still shapes the Middle East

From the Mediterranean coast to the Persian Gulf, the Middle East is a patchwork of belief, a living mosaic of faiths that have coexisted, overlapped, and at times collided for centuries. The sea of green across the map above represents Sunni Muslims, the largest branch of Islam, stretching from Egypt and Saudi Arabia through to Turkey and Jordan.

World / 11 weeks ago

When faith shapes law: The global map of state-backed religions

The world has become increasingly diverse and interconnected; thus, around 40 countries maintain a formal link between religion and the state. A produced by The World in Maps categorises these nations by their official or constitutionally endorsed faiths — Christianity (in red), Islam (in green), and Buddhism (in dark grey) — pointing to the enduring complexity of how states and religions interact globally.

Culture / 14 weeks ago

India’s Religious Map: A portrait of faith, diversity, and change

India is home to one of the most complex religious landscapes in the world, and a map based on the 2011 Census captures this vividly. The visualisation shows the largest religion in every district across the country, revealing that Hinduism is the majority faith in nearly every part of India, while pockets of Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, and others form distinct majorities in certain regions.

Maps / 18 weeks ago

Africa’s religious divide: Map reveals a Muslim north, a Christian south and one Hindu-majority state

Across North Africa and parts of the Sahel, Islam dominates; most of central and southern Africa is majority Christian; and only Mauritius, an island in the Indian Ocean, is predominantly Hindu. Islam first reached Africa in the seventh century when the Umayyad and Abbasid caliphates spread the faith across the northern edge of the continent. Over time, Muslim kingdoms and trans-Saharan trade networks entrenched Islam across North and West Africa.

Culture / 26 weeks ago

The world's least religious? Macau, South Korea, and Hong Kong say yes

A new report by World Population Review highlights an intriguing trend in global belief systems: atheism continues to rise, especially in urbanised and technologically advanced societies. The latest ranking identifies Macau as the world’s most atheist region, with 59.3% of its population identifying as non-believers.

World / 29 weeks ago

Top 10 countries with the largest Catholic populations

In a world where faith remains a powerful cultural force, recent data from World Population Review and Catholic World Mission highlight the countries with the largest Catholic populations. Unsurprisingly, Brazil emerges at the top of the list, boasting a staggering 140 million Catholics. According to the latest reports, Catholicism in Brazil dates back to 1500, when it was introduced by Portuguese explorer Pedro Álvares Cabral. The faith deeply ingrained itself into Brazilian society, shaping its culture and traditions for centuries.

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